


dancing in the moonlight

by abyssith



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dancing, Feelings, Fluff, Fusion, Lars Barriga/Steven Universe is main ship, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Sleeping Together, Sleepy Cuddles, Stars, Sweet, Use your imagination, but not really accidental, first time fusing, lars is confused about sadie, lots of feelings, sitting at the beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-11 14:19:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11150181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abyssith/pseuds/abyssith
Summary: Steven wanders down to the beach to spend some quality time with Lars.ALTERNATIVELY: the fluffy fusion scene we all want.





	dancing in the moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> I drew them fused earlier and thought he looked hella fine, so naturally I decided to make this gem happen (haha that's funny I'm so funny).

Steven's never understood what it's like to feel insomniac until now. His eyes are wide open, his body is restless, and his mind is running a million miles an hour. Typically he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. Today shouldn't have been any different, considering that Pearl had run Connie and him ragged during combat training. The gem claimed that they had been slacking and needed to get back into the swing of things, but Steven suspects that she's trying to distract herself from the Homeworld invasion that everyone quietly anticipates.  
  
He has every excuse in the world to be asleep right now, and yet somehow, Steven remains completely awake. He's not even tired.  
  
Steven groans and sits up, having long abandoned trying to find a cool position on his bed. The sweltering heat has put every single one of his blankets plus his pajama top on the floor, and it certainly isn't helping his futile attempts to sleep.  
  
He stumbles down the stairs and into the kitchen, where his hands find a glass and fill it up with milk. Then his feet carry him to the front door, which is when Steven realizes what he's doing and stops himself. But then his eyes wander to the windows displaying a clear night sky proudly gleaming with constellations and a round moon, beckoning to him temptingly and winking at him via a twinkling star.  
  
Never one to turn down a harmless idea, Steven opens the door and steps onto the balcony. The heat is, naturally, no better than inside, but the mild breeze carries the scent of salt water and sand that, in Steven's mind, neutralizes the temperature.  
  
He puts the glass on the wooden railing and leans on his elbows, sighing contentedly. If there's one thing his mom gave him, it's the connection he feels to the beach and the feeling it never fails to give him. The waves lap at the sand in a way Steven quickly gets hypontized by, relaxing more with each push and pull of the tide.  
  
Steven turns his head in the direction of Beach City, smiling faintly at the few lights still on in the late-night-operating shops. Then he glances towards the edge of the sea, furrowing his brow when he sees a lone figure sitting in the sand. He frowns and squints, leaning forward (not that it aids him in any way). Maybe it's just the light on the sea making weird colors, but Steven swears he can see a hint of pink. And that pale bush of hair that seems to soak up all the moonlight..  
  
A wide smile splits his face when Steven realizes it's Lars. He scrambles back into the house, glass and sleep forgotten, and shoots straight towards his closet. He's changed into his regular outfit and running for the door less than a minute later, the grin still there.  
  
He flies out the front door and down the steps, almost tripping down the last two. But Steven doesn't even notice the falter; he's racing over the sand, feet barely touching the ground in his hurry to get to his friend.  
  
His pace slows as he nears the older boy. "Lars!" he calls out.  
  
Lars stiffens and whips around, alarmed at first. He relaxes when he recognizes Steven's face. "Oh," he exhales. "It's just you. Hey, Steven."  
  
Steven walks over to give him a big hug, which Lars automatically returns. "You didn't hear me coming?" Steven asks after pulling his face away from Lars' chest. He's wearing a rose- scented cologne, and before Steven can stop himself, he pushes his face against Lars again. "That smells nice."  
  
"U-uh, thanks," Lars says, his blush creeping into his voice. "Thought it'd be...you know, ironic. Funny. And, no, didn't hear you for once. I was thinking, I guess."  
  
"'Bout what?" Steven lets go of Lars and plops himself on the sand at his feet. He pats the ground next to him, and after a moment, Lars sits beside him.  
  
"Well," Lars begins, pulling his knees to his chest and propping his head between them, "everything, really. It's...I dunno. My thoughts just sorta come and go."

  
Steven looks away and frowns. He watches a distant wave swell before crashing into the surface as the silence stretches between them. He knows that tone Lars is using--it doesn't mean that he doesn't want to explain, rather it suggests that he just doesn't know how to. So Steven tries to help him out by asking a question from another angle. "Why did you come out here? Couldn't sleep?" he offers as a starting point after a moment's thought.  
  
Lars doesn't pull his eyes away from the glittering horizon as he answers. "Yeah," he admits. "I actually haven't been sleeping very easily since I got back. It's not exactly irritating, really...I guess I just don't need sleep as much." He shrugs as if confirming his words, then looks at Steven. "What about you?"  
  
The younger boy meets Lars' eyes and takes a second to gaze at his prominent scar. He finds the imperfection beautiful, especially in the way the moonlight delicately frames it like a slice of white on an angel.  
  
"Same as you. It's weird, because I was super busy today with Connie and Pearl." Steven stumbles over Connie's name, surprising himself when he does. Lars apparently takes notice, because he raises an eyebrow at the stutter. Wanting to turn the attention away from his mistake, Steven hurriedly asks, "Does the beach make you feel safe, too?"  
  
Lars gives a little chuckle through his nose and looks away again. This time, his eyes look a little more unfocused. Like he's awed by the ocean before them. "A bit," he replies. A hint of a smile tugs at his lips. "It's just...calming."  
  
Steven beams. "That's what I think, too!"  
  
Lars glances at him and gives him a half grin. He slings his arm around Steven and murmurs, "C'mere. I missed you today."  
  
Steven warms with the instant glow Lars' words brings him. He obeys eagerly, scooting closer and snuggling into the elder's side. "At the Big Donut?"  
  
"Uhuh. What gives? Sadie and I had extras we coulda given to you."  
  
"Aww, Lars!" Steven pouts. "Well, someone could've told me!"  
  
As Lars laughs and rubs shoulder, drawing things into Steven's skin as he for some reason now does, Steven grows more serious. Knowing the topic may still be a touchy one, even if Lars appears like everything is normal, Steven's voice softens when he questions, "Hey...how are you and Sadie doing?"  
  
Lars' hand stills.  
  
Steven pulls away, his eyes wide and frightened as he quickly scans Lars' face to see if he went too far. "It's okay--you don't have to--"  
  
Lars interrupts him by reaching out for Steven's hand to bring him back in. Steven exhales at his touch, melting into his body again.  
  
"It's complicated," Lars says eventually after a couple silent minutes of forgiving Steven by holding him close and drawing on his arm. "Like, we're still friends, but there's just something between us now, you know? I think it'll go away but..." He shakes his head and sniffs, quickly rubbing his eyes. "I don't exactly know how to apologize for what I did, Steven."  
  
"You can start by saying sorry," Steven suggests simply, gazing up.  
  
"That's not what I mean." Lars pauses, confliction written all over his expression. "She won't believe me. No matter what I say. It doesn't help that she has these--feelings, for me, or whatever!"  
  
Steven hesitates. Something makes him ask, "Do you have the same feelings for her?"  
  
Lars grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut, redness flowing through his cheeks. "No--well...no! I mean--gah! I-I don't know! I'm not--I'm just not good with these things, Steven, you know that. I...I don't know how I feel about her. I want to make it up to her, and I missed her a lot and I was so glad to see her again and I love her but--not like the way she loves me? I think?" He sighs and opens his eyes, staring down at Steven with a sadness. "Anyway, she deserves better than a jerk like me, so it doesn't matter."  
  
Steven's face falls and he descends upon Lars in a suffocating hug. The rose aroma fills his nose again. "Lars...you're not a jerk!" he protests. "I mean, you used to be, but not anymore. I promise!"  
  
Lars snorts, playing with one of Steven's curls. He tugs on it gently before letting go, settling for rhythmically running his hand through the younger boy's hair. "Whatever. I can't even figure out what she is to me."  
  
"Lars, that's okay." Steven leans away and gives the other a reassuring smile. "That's totally normal. You'll figure it out." He falls silent then, wondering what this rush of positive feeling in his heart is. It isn't...happiness, exactly. It feels more like a hope for something, or a relief. And it puzzles Steven.  
  
"What about Connie?" Lars unexpectedly inquires. His tone is different, and Steven's intuition tells him it goes hand-in-hand with the weird feeling in his own chest. "You, uh...you guys..."  
  
Despite everything, Steven still finds himself blushing hard. Lars sees, and a shadow flits across his face for a second. Steven suspects he didn't even realize it.  
  
"Yeah..." he answers, itching to hide his face in Lars' neck. "I like her." I love her, his brain whispers, but his heart refuses to let him say that. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Steven wonders. He said he loved her, he meant it, but..."And she likes me, too, so...that's good, right?"  
  
It's scary how suddenly all the playfulness in his voice is forced.  
  
Lars shrugs once but doesn't offer any insight. When Steven looks at him, his face seems empty, eyes crestfallen. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Lars answers, the look gone in a flash.  
  
A crazy idea passes through Steven's mind out of nowhere. He doesn't know what's going on in Lars' head right now, or what he wants, but Steven knows a way that might help him understand. Bring them even closer.  
  
"So...there's this thing, Connie and I do," Steven starts. He sees the little involuntary flinch and hurries on. "It, uh. Sometimes it helps us get a better picture of the other person. You sorta...bear the weight of their pain, if they have any, and so in the future, you know how to help them out better."  
  
Lars gives him a bewildered and slightly worried look. "What're you talking about, Steven?" he asks, his eyebrows pushing together.  
  
The words tumble out of Steven's mouth before he can stop them, even though he knows they do nothing but freak the older boy out even more. "Now, you don't have to do this, and I won't be offended or anything, I promise--"  
  
"Just spit it out, Steven!"  
  
Steven sighs and stands up, walking a few paces away from Lars. For some reason, his knees shake and threaten to give out when he covers his face. A vision flashes through his mind, reminding him of when he stood on these very shores and asked Connie to dance with him during a night so similar to this one. He had covered his face even then, his stomach flipping inside of him. But this time, Steven forces himself to look at the boy and stretch his hand out to him. With a trembling smile Steven asks shyly, "Wanna fuse?"  
  
All the blood drains from Lars' face, only to surge back with a vengeance that turns his face three shades darker in pink. Steven expects him to say anything from rejection to disgust to alarm, but the only thing that comes out of his mouth is spoken incredulously: "We can do that?!"  
  
Steven blinks. "Well, yeah. I think...I mean, I fuse with Connie all the time, and she's a regular human," he explains. He gestures to Lars and says, "You're...closer to someone like me than she is, so if I were to guess, it'd be even easier to fuse with you."  
  
Lars is quiet for a long time, and Steven patiently watches the different emotions clash in his eyes. Finally he looks up and asks, "What...what's it like? What do we have to do?"  
  
The fact that Lars hasn't directly turned him down eases Steven's nerves, and he grins, "It'd be easiest to show you."  
  
Uncertainty Lars gets up and walks over to Steven, hesitating. His hand hovers just over Steven's. "I..." Lars licks his lips. "I don't know, Steven..."  
  
Steven's heart drops all the way into his shoes, but he tries not to show it. "Th-that's okay!" he assures Lars, pulling his hand back. "If you're not ready, that's fine."  
  
"No, no," Lars protests, grabbing Steven's hands and shuffling closer. "I-I'm ready."  
  
A rush of energy floods Steven's veins, and then he's beaming again. "Okay!" he exclaims. Then he pauses. "Actually, I don't know exactly what to do."  
  
"You don't--" Lars bites back the annoyed words and takes a breath. "I've seen those gems fuse before," he says in a more calmed voice. "They usually dance, right? Do we have to dance?" His face flushes at the last part.  
  
Steven shrugs. "Sometimes, the first time. But Connie and I can fuse really easily now, and when Amethyst and I fused, we just hugged. I think you fuse when your emotions are in line with each other, and you're sort of just...in tune with the other person. Look, you'll know it when you feel it. Just try not to think about it."  
  
Lars looks like he'd very much like to run into the ocean screaming, but he manages to do little more than shiver a bit. "I trust you, Steven," he says thickly. "Just...lead the way."  
  
Steven nods and then slips one hand out of Lars', replacing it on his side. Lars looks down, awkwardly fumbling with his free hand. "Put it on my shoulder," Steven suggests.  
  
When Lars does as he says, Steven begins to step back and forth, just as he did with Connie. "Follow what I'm doing," says the younger boy.  
  
"Like this?" Lars starts off shuffling in small movements, but gradually learns Steven's pattern and falls into a rhythm. "It feels right."  
  
"Yeah. You're doing great." Steven inhales, his eyes fluttering shut at the rose. Lars is so close to him. "Um, it might help if you tried to concentrate. Beyond what you're doing right now."  
  
"For example?" mutters Lars, his face beaded with sweat. His hand trembles and grips Steven a bit tighter.  
  
"On yourself. On me," Steven adds. "Just try."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
Steven closes his eyes and does his best to follow his own advice. He drifts into his footsteps, looking past the actual rhythm and into the mirroring of Lars, the electricity their bodies create together. He pictures his hands becoming part of Lars and vice versa, their mind and souls becoming one. The aching, the anxiety, the ghosts haunting Lars wherever he goes--Steven offers to take it all.  
  
Their movements become more fluid, more graceful. Lars rocks in time with Steven, his hold relaxing as he retreats into his own head. In the back of his mind Steven can hear the waves sloshing on the sand, the crickets chirping. He leans forward, body moving on its own, and presses his face against Lars. The older boy grunts, but keeps dancing.  
  
The flowery fragrance rushes through him like a drug, and it clings to Steven like dew on grass. Within it is salt, water, sweat, Lars. Steven turns his ear against Lars' chest, listening to his heartbeat. He feels his heart begin to race, picking up to beat in time with Lars. Their footsteps get faster, and soon they're turning in a tight circle, their feet beginning a deadly dance and just barely avoiding tripping over each other.  
  
Lars' breathing gets choppier, faster, heavier. Steven leans away and stares up at him, finding Lars already looking down. His eyes are filled with excitement and fire, and Steven feels a smile stretching across his face to respond to the wonder on Lars'.  
  
Without warning, Lars stops dancing. Steven yelps, his momentum carrying him to the side. He falls...only to be caught in a dip over Lars' knee.  
  
The boys stare at each other, breathing hard, until Lars lets out a single, choked laugh and grabs Steven's face. He brings them together until their foreheads and noses touch, lips brushing against each other as they catch their breath. They stay like that, pulses and breaths one in the same. Because Steven's eyes are closed, he doesn't notice the glow radiating from their bodies until it surrounds them completely, warming them like a blanket. Steven's eyes fly open, and Lars' face frozen in shock is the last thing he sees before heat blazes in his gem and everything is washes over in white.  
  
***  
  
The first thing he feels is the sand on his face. Groaning, he lifts himself up, realizing he had been lying facedown on the beach. His arms tremble with his weight, and confusion fills his mind when he realizes that he is...heavier than usual...  
  
He jumps to his feet and gasps, staring down at himself. He sees red flip flops, long legs, ripped denim shorts, a red gem on his stomach.  
  
"But I don't have a--" His hands fly to his mouth when it occurs to him. "Steven! It--it worked!" A delirious laugh jumps from his throat before he can stop it. "We fused!"  
  
He twists around, trying to see the rest of him. His complexion is a salmon color, and thick, poofy hair the color of a carnation hangs over his left eye. Steven's red shirt, torn at the collar and in the middle of his chest hangs over a tight-fitting black shirt with sleeves to his elbow. His midriff is bare, displaying the gleaming Rose Quartz gem.  
  
He reaches up, touching the tunnel earrings and feeling the outline of a star cut out. It feels unfamiliar, even though he knows he's worn them before.  
  
"Who am I--are we?" he mumbles in disbelief. "Steven and Lars...Stars?" He snorts as he says the name. "That's a stupid name." Then, as quickly as the refusal of the name comes, it's replaced by a love for it. He stumbles, clutching his head as his opinions slingshot from one extreme to the other. A headache threatens to overwhelm him, but eventually he's able to find middle ground and the looming pain recedes.  
  
"So, Stars," the fusion decides, still trying to get a good look at himself. "This--this is awesome!" Then his stomach rumbles, and a sudden urge for something sweet drowns out any other emotion in his body. He reaches into his pocket and fishes around, grinning when his hand closes around a key.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Stars is sitting on a rock on the shore with his bare feet trailing in the water. A bag of chocolate donuts lies in his lap.  He pulls one out and takes a big bite, sighing at the taste. Combined with the full moon high up in the sky, the water battling the heat away, and the alien but wonderful feeling of being physically complete...Stars suspects that in either boy's life, he hasn't felt this good in a long time. Perhaps ever.  
  
Now that the initial thrill of the success of the fusion has worn off, Stars is free to think about who he is now. He knows that the two boys making up his consciousness are very different people, with different fears and views and opinions and memories. That sort of thing should prevent the teens from being even remotely compatible with each other, but Stars innately knows that their fusion could have been done with nothing more than an intimate embrace. It was easy, easier than it should've been. A memory of fusing into Stevonnie knocks at the back door of Stars' head, and he wonders if it was easier than becoming them.  
  
The thing is, Stars comes to understand, they balance each other. Steven's social ease cancels out Lars' insecurities. Lars' headstrong personality eases Steven's habit of second-guessing himself. Of course, there are some things that are still there: a fear of being looked down upon. Of being held to a certain standard, only to be shunned because he fell short of it. Hating isolation.  
  
The good things, however, are more than worth the bad. Though Stars hasn't been fused long enough to completely understand himself, he feels a passionate urge to protect his family, his friends. The willingness to sacrifice himself if it means someone he loves can live. Boldness. A soft heart surrounded by a barrier of steel.  
  
Memories dance behind Stars' eyes, showing him snapshots of the boys' lives. It's hard to discern between which life it comes from. It's the same with his emotions--they are all his, regardless of whom contributed them.  
  
"I never knew," Stars murmurs to himself, twisting his red shirt around his finger. He's not sure who he's whispering to, but his mind feels whole, like both of the boys are truly acting in unison. So he trusts what he says and lets it flow. "How you felt. If I had known...I could've helped you more..." That's definitely Steven.  
  
He shakes his head, running a hand through his thick hair and feeling where it abruptly falls away to a short black fuzz halfway down his scalp. A surge of guilt fills him, and he has to wipe a tear away. That came from them both--though it comes from two very different areas, the teens are sensitive people, and will break down if pushed too far.  
  
Stars grabs another donut and hops into the water, sinking up to his thighs. The bottom of his shorts get soaked immediately, but he ignores it. "We're so similar," he whispers, eyes fixed on the horizon.  
  
He feels a little bit of defensiveness rise up within him when he begins reluctantly probing some of the darker secrets in his heart. A bit of pain throbs at his head, but when Stars firmly tells himself that he can trust himself, it disappears. And then, as if a lock was undone, everything is revealed to him.  
  
What he learns gives him a dull sense of shock intermixed with ashamed resignation. Heat rises through his face as the secrets are shared, learned, understood. Maybe he's being reckless, discovering things that he should wait a little while longer to find, but there's a charge of extraterrestrial trust a fusion incites. And Steven brought Lars back to life. That has to stand for something. So he keeps digging, lets himself keep digging, and the process gets easier rather than harder. And where he expects disagreement and conflict in his mind, he finds that the connection holding him together only gets stronger.  
  
When he finishes uncovering the secrets that were voluntarily given up, he stops before he can do actual damage. He knows there's more to be found, but what he knows now was personal enough. If he were to force anything else out of his shared mind, not only would he certainly unfuse out of the sheer chaos that would follow, but he would also put Steven's and Lars' relationship at serious risk. Some things were better left unknown.  
  
And besides, what Stars does know now is more than enough. Tears are pooling in his eyes, what with the revelation and the fact that the bond he personifies is strong enough to maintain even when unloading and sharing that kind of baggage. He remembers what it was like being Stevonnie, and how a fusion feels the pain of each individual soul making it up. He can't put his finger on it, exactly, but this kind of sharing feels different somehow. A good different.  
  
Stars looks down at his hands, at the foam swirling around his legs. He sees Steven in his palms, Lars in his legs. A thought occurs to him, and he raises a hand to his right eye. The bumpy, uneven skin he feels in a jagged line crossing his face there tells him that the fusion had maintained the scar. But to Stars, it's no longer a reminder of the tragedy Lars briefly suffered. Now, it's a sign of the beautiful thing that came out of it: them.  
  
A content sigh escapes through Stars' partially opened mouth before he turns and sloshes through the water. He grabs the paper bag on his way back to the shore, picking at the bits left inside. The cool sand bunches through his toes, a sensation that Stars gleefully regards. He feels reinvigorated, renewed, reborn. And it's wonderful.  
  
"I think," he muses to himself, putting the bag on the sand once he's a good few paces away from the edge of the water, "we should unfuse."  
  
Pain pricks the corners of his eyes. "Why?" he blurts, clenching his teeth. He tries to alleviate it, make his wish clear throughout every part of him. "Steven, I--" He's glowing now, struggling to keep himself together as to unfuse voluntarily. Lars is losing it, but the part of Stars that Steven has is doing all he can to hold on. "I want to see you," gasps Stars, grabbing his temples and doubling over.  
  
At his words, the pain roars to an almost unbearable level--and then disappears less than a second after. In its place, warmth spreads through him, sending chills down his back and neck. Stars lets go of his head and instead wraps his arms around himself, straightening and bowing his head. He pictures himself as Steven and Lars, separate again but just as close as they are now.  
  
Unfusing proves to be much easier than fusing, because Stars' gem flares to life almost immediately after the image is willed to truth. White surrounds him, and through the tenderness and affection in the energy being released around his body, his mind fizzles out of existence.  
  
***  
  
Steven slowly becomes aware of the hands around him, one on his back and one gently cupping the nape of his neck. He blinks, startled at first when the first thing he sees is Lars' face barely two inches away from his. But it quickly melts away to excitement, and then a flurry of rapidly changing emotions.  
  
"Lars," Steven whispers, seeing that the boy's eyes are still closed. "We're back."  
  
Lars scrunches his eyebrows up to acknowledge Steven. "Are you sure?" he asks, his tone unreadable.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Lars cautiously peeks, and then opens his eyes all at once. He stares at Steven, then at the position they're in. A wild blush seizes Steven's face when he finally realizes that he's still bent over Lars' knee, the older boy's body hovering right over his own.  
  
"Wow," Lars murmurs, distancing himself by only a couple of inches. Then, louder, he repeats, "Wow."  
  
Steven smiles, though it soon fades. He's still mentally staggering over the things he found out about Lars. All the fear, the worry, the feelings--"I wish you told me," Steven accidentally vocalizes. Then his eyes widen and his hands rip away from Lars' body to slap over his mouth.  
  
Lars' face pales, and without meaning to, he drops Steven. The younger boy hits the sand with an 'oomph!', causing Lars to scramble over and stammer, "Oh, geez, Steven, sorry..."  
  
Steven shakes his head and sits up, brushing off his arms. "It's okay." He studies Lars' face before holding his gaze long enough for the elder to redden and look away. "Hey...was that...too much?"

  
Lars is quick to deny that with a sharp jerk of his head. "No," he assures Steven, though his voice is more timid than usual. He sits beside Steven, as they had before, and leans back on his hands. "I meant what I--what we--what Stars said," Lars continues, tone still hinting that he's a little bashful now. "I only wanted to unfuse so I could see you. I wanted--" He leans forward, boldly raising a hand to cup Steven's chin. "I wanted to face you after you learned about...me."  
  
"That's brave of you," Steven praises, grinning despite himself.  
  
His smile is contagious, spilling onto Lars' face and having the intended effect of putting the elder at ease. "Yeah, well...after what I shared, I guess it gets easier to. When you lose things to hide," he says quietly. His hand drops from Steven's chin.  
  
"Well...did it work?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Fusing," Steven answers. "We fused so we could understand each other better. So did it work?"  
  
Lars nods, exhaling through his nose to chuckle. "It did, actually. So...thanks. I think."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They sit in silence for a long but somehow comfortable moment, until Steven says, "Thank you."  
  
Lars glances at him, confused.  
  
"For trusting me. You didn't have to, but you did," Steven explains. He looks down, trying to control his loopy smile. "It means a lot."  
  
"Steven..." Lars scoots closer. "If I can't trust the guy who brought me back to life, or the guy who makes me feel like I'm someone better than I really am, then who can I trust?" He hesitates, giving Steven time to hear his words, before saying his part. "And yeah. Thanks for trusting me back. I really don't deserve it."  
  
Steven rolls his eyes. "Well, if you really understood what I gave you, you'd know that I think you do."  
  
"I guess." Lars pulls Steven into him, and says thoughtfully, "So I'm a part of you now, huh?"  
  
Steven nods. "And I'm a part of you."  
  
"I just can't believe you're not running away screaming now that you know what you know." Lars sounds hesitant, like he fully expects Steven to do just that now that he said it.  
  
"No way," Steven says easily. "I wanna help in any way I can. That's how I felt before, and it hasn't changed. Besides, I really like you. So, I'm gonna stick around."  
  
"I..." Lars clears his throat, blinking hard. "I really like you too, Steven."  
  
The seconds become minutes, and the minutes remind Steven of the newfound heaviness in his eyes. "Hey," he yawns, arching his back, "you wanna come over and sleep at my house? I'm...really tired, now. Huh. Strange."  
  
"Oh...er--yeah, okay. I'd love to, actually."  
  
Steven gets up without another word. He offers his hand to Lars and pulls him up when he takes it. They set off across the sand, both of them now assaulted with long yawns that get them more drowsy with each passing second.  
  
By the time they stagger up the stairs and through the front door, they're practically draped over each other, leaning on the other for support and balance. They have hardly enough strength to lug each other up the stairs, and Lars almost falls on top of Steven when the smaller boy collapses on his bed.  
  
"Should I go on the couch?" Lars slurs, his voice heavy.  
  
"Of course not," retorts Steven, slapping the space on the bed next to him. "You sleep here."  
  
Lars, too tired to argue, flops onto the bed facing Steven. As if by tradition, he opens his arms, letting Steven wiggle in. Their legs slip over and under each other like puzzle pieces, even though they've never even tried to before.  
  
Steven barely notices, already half asleep, but is awake enough to feel Lars playing with his hair again. He has enough strength to smile and press up against Lars' torso, tucking his head into his favorite spot on Lars' neck. And then his eyes close, soothed by the circles lazily traced onto his back. The smell of roses and sand chases him into a warm, peaceful slumber.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"What is he doing here?" Pearl hisses to Garnet, staring at the boys tangled up with each other on the bed. They're still fast asleep, and Lars is snoring like a bear, completely oblivious to Steven drooling on his shoulder. One hand is still inside the younger boy's hair.  
  
Amethyst is doing her best not to burst out laughing and wake them. She keeps letting out little snorts through her fingers, giggling into her hands. Beside her, Garnet observes the pair, her three eyes twinkling with unseen elation behind her mask. "He was with Steven last night," is all she says.  
  
"Yes, but...was it really necessary that Steven bring him back here?"  
  
Garnet claps a hand on Pearl and the other on Amethyst, dragging them away from the bed. This time, she can't hide her smile when she says, "Give them their time together. They've earned it."  
  
  
END

**Author's Note:**

> I'll admit, not my best work, but it'll suffice. I tried writing fluff another way, a more mental/emotional way. Hopefully I did good, with the fusion take and the descriptions of how the boys acted together. Naturally I threw in some good old-fashioned touchy fluff to compensate for the rougher edges. (Plus a bonus scene with Garnet being a lowkey fangirl)
> 
> Note: I'm actively taking requests in the effort to grow the Lars Barriga/Steven Universe tag! If you have one, leave it in the comments and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Hope to hear from you soon!


End file.
